


Dream Walker

by Ayerea



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: (but is still an asshole), Alternate Universe - School, Character Death In Dream, Coma, Enemies to Lovers, Hospitals, Insomnia, M/M, Ramsay is an actual human being with emotions, Sarcasm, Swearing, Violence, dream walking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-26
Updated: 2018-11-26
Packaged: 2019-08-29 12:07:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16743700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ayerea/pseuds/Ayerea
Summary: "Last nightlast nightlast nightI dreamtof you."- N. L. Shompole"How do you get someone to date you when they hate you?"Theon can't stand the new kid, except then he catches feelings. The problem? He's been a complete dick to Jon since day one. On top of that either he can't sleep at all or just an hour at a time. The weird dreams are not helping either. One night, that's all he's asking for.





	Dream Walker

**Author's Note:**

> You know this feeling when you finish something and never want to look at it again? This is this thing. Thanks to my sister who listened to me bitch about this thing for weeks.

_breathe/breathe/breathe_  
when the dark comes  
with sharpened teeth.  
\- N. L. Shompole 

 

Snow under his paws and trees all around him, capturing him, imprisoning him. Growls and howling.  
_too close.too close.too close.too close.too close.too close.too close._  
There are five of them. There's always five of them. They hunt and chase. Never tiring, never pausing. He wants to stop running, wants to hide, his lungs too small for his ribcage. But he can't, can't, can't, can't.  
A jackrabbit jumps from nothing into the snow at his feet.  
_Chase it._  
_Go home._  
He pounces, tumbles. Snow gives way to sand and shrubs and home.  
**Yes / Yes / Yes / Yes**  
Something followed him from the forest.  
_Turn. Fight. We're home._  
He makes a sharp turn, faces his nightmare head on. It's a single wolf. White and larger than any wolf he's ever seen. It towers over him easily. The wolf is waiting, watching. It's uncomfortable to hunt so far away from home. He jumps at the wolf’s throat and bites. Blood.  
Sweet dreams, he howls as the wolf turns to ashes dancing in the wind. 

It's 6 am and Theon contemplates whether it's worthwhile to sleep or just get ready for school now. He would have to get up in a hours time anyway. He could shower. Or he could sleep. Sleep sounds extremely nice, if only his brain would cooperate. Meh. He closes his eyes again. This time sleep comes easy, which is nice enough, he could have used that six hours ago though. 

Theon manages to sleep through his alarm. He has ten minutes to get ready and get to school. It's a fifteen minute walk. Seeing as he will be late anyway, which is absolutely nothing new, he sees no reason to stress himself. He might give Melisandre a heart attack if he actually shows up on time. 

"Greyjoy, Fifteen minutes late, I guess I can't expect more from you," Melisandre says, lips in a tight line. Theon shrugs. Fifteen minutes is a new record for him. The earliest he's ever shown up to one of her lessons was half an hour late. Maybe twenty minutes. He surveys the classroom, looking for an empty seat. The front row is empty except for Sam, who is chatting with someone, Margaery is sitting with Loras and Renly on each side of her, there- Theon backtracks. They have a new kid, they must have, because A) no one sits in the front row except for Sam and B) no one sits with Sam. The dude, who broke the number one rule of seatings, who is happily chatting with Sam, Sam of all possible people, is surprisingly pretty for an idiot.  
"If you would sit down, Greyjoy, so I can finally start the lesson, unless you will be standing for all of it?" Melisandre pulls him out of his thoughts. Theon's lips pull into a cocky grin and thinks about telling her, that he will be doing just that, when Loras waves him over. There is an empty seat beside him. Theon nods and makes his way over.  
"We knew you would be late, so we saved you a seat," Loras says and moves his bag from the chair. Theon being late to first period is a law at this point.  
"Thank you man, appreciate it," Theon says as he sits down.  
"See it as payback," Renly says from the other side of Margaery, who is the only one paying attention to the lesson.  
"For what? Telling Jaime Loras was taking you to the nurse because you weren't feeling well, while you fucked like rabbits in the bathroom?", Theon teases. Loras goes beet red.  
"Yeah, that," he forces out. Margaery giggles, betraying she isn't paying as much attention to the lesson as she should. 

Like always Theon eats in the cafeteria before he meets his group outside to smoke. "What the fuck?" Renly actually drops his cigarette when he sees Theon and Loras almost tries to catch it on reflex. He looks up, his face making it very clear that he's contemplating his life choices, and Theon can pinpoint the exact second Loras notices the damages done to Theon's pretty face. His eyebrows nearly touch his hairline and his mouth opens to form a perfectly round little 'O'.  
"What the fuck?!", he repeats Renly’s words a little more shrill.  
"Did you start a fight?", Ramsay asks, amusement thick in his tone.  
"Nope, not my fault this time," Theon answers. He was, and still is, running on an hour of sleep, so he firmly holds on to his opinion that his first interaction, and first fight, with the new kid, Jon, was not his fault at all.  
"So I sat down at Tarly's table, he comes walking with his new boyfriend,” Said boyfriend was, is, very handsome, with dark curls and doe eyes, there was a pout on his lips, which didn't detract from the over all beauty at all, it added to it really.  
“and stares at me like I might eat him instead of my sandwich-"  
"Well he is big enough. The fat would make the meat very tender if you cook him in some nice broth."  
"What. The. Fuck. Ramsay?" Loras looks horrified, which yeah, Theon can get behind that. "Shit like that makes me wonder why I still talk to you," says Renly. Ramsay simply shrugs.  
"Anyway," Theon interrupts. "Sam stares at me all wide eyed gazelle before hungry Lion, at which point I notice just where I sat down. I said, quote, unquote: 'Look, Tarly, I'm not here to punch out your teeth out, I sit where I want. There are seven empty seats, take your pick. Unless your new boyfriend fucked your ass already, in which case there's enough room to stand too.' Turn to the new dude and tell him that he could do way better than a loser like Tarly and asked if he wanted me to show him a good time, que the dude standing up and punching me. I, being me, punched back, and that's why I look like some blue white dalmatian mutt."  
Renly raises one of his elegantly plucked eyebrows and goes:  
"And you call that not your fault?"  
"Yes," Theon deadpans. Loras wordlessly throws his hands into the air.  
“Well I hope you gave as good as you got,” Is Ramsay’s only comment.  
“What do you take me for?”, Theon asks, mock horrified.  
“An idiot,” Renly mumbles, which makes Loras snort.  


Ramsay is waiting for Theon by the gates. It's easy to spot him, even with all the other students fleeing towards freedom. Just look for the second most expensive car.  
"Margaery is throwing a party today, you're invited," Ramsay tells him, when Theon walks up to him. Theon raises a brow.  
"Am I invited because Margaery said so, or because you're invited and you need someone to stick your dick in afterwards?," he scoffs.  
"If I need anyone to 'stick my dick in' I might as well fuck Myranda, if anything I need an excuse to punch Joffrey in the face, cunt has been asking for it."  
Theon rolls his eyes. Just the mention of that twat makes his whole body ache for a fight, for blood and bone. Something in him hungers.  
"Since when do you need an excuse to punch anyone?", he asks.  
"Since my father started working for his grandfather," Ramsay hisses.  
"My condolences," Theon says solemn. Ramsay laughs.  
"Do it for me and I'll lick the blood of your fingers afterwards?"  
"Throw in a good fuck and you have yourself a deal."  
"Nice to do business with you," Ramsay says and shakes his hand firmly. As if Theon needs bribing to punch Joffrey, fuck, he would probably pay for it.  


Ramsay drops him off at the hospital, as it is on his way home. Theon looks up at the building with weary eyes. He doesn't have good memories of hospitals.  
_Mother._  
_Rodrik._  
_Maron._  
He's trying to make better ones, trying to make up for all the times he didn't visit any of them. He shakes away the thoughts and pushe the glassdoors open with one hand. Long purposeful strides to the reception.  
"Theon," Jeyne greets him. He's been here often enough, starting his charity work before she even started working here. She smiles and reaches for the drawer, there's the rustling of paper and keys, before she hands him a thick fairytale book.  
"It's good what you do for the kids," she says and Theon shrugs, he doesn't do it for them, does it to chase away the shadows of this very hospital in his past.  
"Room 306, Shireen Baratheon, she hasn't had visitors for a while." He nods, salutes her with two fingers, his patented Greyjoy smirk on his lips, and makes his way through the familiar white walls.  
Theon finds the room quickly, he's been here too often, knows the hallways better than his own home, and knocks softly. He always does, no one answers him, they never do in these parts of the hospital. Coma ward. Theon enters carefully, always prepared to come face to face with his mother or brothers.  
He doesn't. How could he? They're dead. Instead there is a young girl, the bed she's sleeping in makes her smaller and paler than she is. He doesn't know her, hasn't read to her before. She's tiny and blonde and soft. Like dandelions. Theon can't help but hope she has the same stubborn will to survive. Half of her face is burned. Badly. It comes to Theon sudden and violent just why she is in the coma ward. He pulls one of the many chairs closer to the sickbed.  
"Hello Shireen, I'm Theon. It's nice to meet you. I'm here to read a little for you." It never stops being weird, talking to the sleeping. He opens the old book and starts reading.  
"Once upon a time there was..." 

Wind ruffles his fur and sand dances beneath his paws. The sun hangs low in the sky to the east, never quite rising, drowning everything in orange light. He runs towards it, never getting closer. An oasis appears out of nowhere. It isn't and then it just is. A pair of oak trees springs from the sand, growing ever taller, they curve and meet in the middle, twisting and twisting into a crown of green. And he, ever curious, runs right through the middle, follows the gateway into a new land.  
A forest again. Grass beneath his paws, green and tickling. It's new, exciting. A river flows before him, giggling and singing as only rivers do. He sniff the air, looks around. There, between all the green, is a sleeping doe, white in colour. A snowflake amidst grassy plains. As he circles ever closer he realises his mistake. Not a doe at all, a kit, a babe.  
_Kill her._  
_Wake her up._  
He leaps. Blood wells up beneath his teeth. Bone crunches. She falls limp. He laps up the red, cleans her of dirty death. He sinks his teeth into her flesh and- 

"Wake up, lad."  
There is a hand on his shoulder. Theon opens his eyes startled, finds himself face to face with a stern looking man. His hair and beard are peppered with grey and his eyes are a startling blue. Kind eyes. Calming eyes. There is a commotion. Nurses flitting in and out of the room like eager hummingbirds.  
"What's ya name, lad?", the man asks, voice deep and rough.  
"Ah, Theon. I, uh, read for the children here sometimes." He searches for the book that must have fallen from his lap and picks it up, holds it up for the man to see.  
"I'm sorry, I must have fallen asleep," he says, like he's a respectful young man and not an asshole. Hospitals do that to him.  
"Well, Theon, I think you should go home, maybe take a nap there instead."  
He nods mute and makes his leave. As he looks back, he catches a glimpse of hazel eyes staring at him. 

Theon is exhausted and done with life. He's going to sleep the whole weekend, fuck Margaery's party. Nope. He's not going. Fuck it. Fuck everything. Theon throws his bag in the corner, takes off his clothes and goes to sleep. 

The white kit follows him through the forest. She isn't walking as much as she's jumping everywhere. Sometimes she wanders off, presumably to catch a butterfly, but she always comes back. He lets her. There is no urge to hunt or kill her anymore. The little kit is hardly any danger to him. Birds sing sweet melodies of spring and sometimes he joins them, howls his worship to the blazing sun towards the sky. She likes that, nudges him when he's too quiet for too long. It feels like they have been walking forever, but time is a human concept that has no place in dreams. Much like his sun never rises hers never sets, so the birds keep singing, joined by the happy mumblings of the river.  
She nudges him again, but he catches a spot of light brown, sand and plains, that doesn't belong here. A jackrabbit. He runs and pounces, looks up at her as he licks blood from his muzzle.  
The forest melts away and he is home once again. There's nothing after that. 

He sits up with a gasp. Chapped hands rub none too gently over his eyes. Fuck. Fuck. One night, is that too much to ask for? Theon rakes his hands through his hair, a tangled mess, and sighs. It's 12 am and he swears the red letters are taunting him. Margaery's party. The thought comes without any permission from his side. He could still go, though he'd be two hours late, he thinks as he zombie walks to his bathroom. The reflection in the mirror is a pale mess with greasy entangled hair. The dark circles under his eyes look especially sexy. He’d have to freshen up a bit. Make that three hours late. Fuck it, he thinks and zombie walks back to his bedroom. Might as well go back to sleep. 

 

That Theon wasn't present for the party is less of a crime than he initially thought. Ramsay hooked up with Myranda after all, so he isn't pissed. Nice. Apparently Margaery and Sansa are now a thing, which Theon can believe, alcohol is the best gateway into relationships afterall. Theon also has about a hundred messages from Renly, describing, in great detail, how Jon and his brother Robb got into a fight with Joffrey. There's a video too. Theon might not like Jon, but he likes Joffrey even less, so it's extremely satisfying to watch the blonde get beaten up on repeat. He's heard the wildest speculations about why the fight started, but according to Ramsay, who is a flimsy source for information at best, it's because Joffrey made some homophobic comments, which sounds believable enough. That just means Theon needs to start another fight with the prick on monday. 

 

He's watching the sand before him, waiting for movement. He's hungry, ready to pounce on any snake or rat that shows their face. He's had enough of bunnies for awhile. Something in the sand- 

Monday rolls around and hits him like a derailed train, as mondays are prone to do. Theon is woken by the sound of his goddamn alarm.  
“Fuck you,” he says. The honest feeling of a chronic insomniac. He puts on clothes, sloppily. It’s the first full night of sleep in weeks. Excuse him.  
He’s late to school. As is tradition. Theon opens the door, fuck knocking, and sits down without looking at the teacher once. It’s just Benjen, just math. He couldn’t care less. 

Theon is walking through the halls, on his way to his groups smoking spot when:  
"How are you friends with the psychopath?"  
Jon startles the fuck out of him. Theon turns around, ready for a fight. It's Jon, there is no other possible outcome.  
"Psychopath?", he repeats.  
"Ramsay," is the clarification that Jon gives. It startles a laugh out of Theon. Sure, he's called Ramsay that same word before, it is afterall fairly accurate, but he won't give Jon the satisfaction of a real answer.  
"Don't give him so much credit, Jon, you make him sound all big bad wolf. He's more of a dog, really, he even wags his tail if you're good too him."  
Jon makes a face, disgusted and angry. Something that Theon enjoys way too much.  
"You're a dick. It's like everything that was supposed to be between your legs went into your personality instead."  
Theon snorts, but before he can answer someone lays their arm over Theon's shoulder. It's Ramsay who answers Jon.  
"Believe me, the size of his dick is equal to how much of a dick he actually is."  
Theon rolls his eyes.  
"Flatterer," he says.  
Jon stomps away without another word.  
"Look at that, you drove him off," Theon says.  
"I believe it was the size of your cock that did." 

 

There is a rabbit. It's all black with red eyes staring at him. He doesn't like it. It doesn't belong here. Its mouth splits into a mad grin, unveiling fangs that do not belong in a rabbit's mouth. It hops, once, twice, towards him.  
Run.  
He turns to flee, but pointy teeth are already digging into his skin like it's paper.  
_There's pain, pain, pain. Painpainpainpainpainpain and please,please,please,please,please. You're not my son. Out. Out. I didn't raise you like that. Fag. Dad. Dad, please. Theon, wait. Out. Out. You're not my son. I hate you. hate you. hate.hate.hate._

He wakes crying and screaming, something that's always a fun experience. It's not even four am, he's not even been asleep for an hour.  
Fuck.  
**Fuck.**  
Theon grabs his phone and calls Ramsay.  
_"Fuck, Theon, do you have any idea-"_  
"Pick me up."  
_"Fuck, fine, fine."_

"Let’s fuck," Theon says. Ramsay looks at him, eyes bleary with sleep, and runs his hand through his black hair.  
"I'm all up for fucking you, but that's one shitty coping mechanism you have there."  
Theon shrugs, not in the mood for that kind of conversation.  
"Coffee?", Ramsay suggests instead.  
"Fine, for fuck’s sake," Theon almost shouts, all pent up frustration. Ramsay raises his hands mollifying.  
"Hey, I'm not the one who woke you at butt fuck in the night."  
"I woke you, so you would fuck me, if I wanted coffee I would have called Loras or Margaery," Theon says, quieter this time, all the fight has bleed from him, left his body little more than an exhausted shell. Ramsay scoffs.  
"They would have told you to fuck off, if they heard their phone at all. Your luck. You called me, and coffee is all you're getting. Come on, I'll pay." 

Theon is on his way outside, cigarette already dangling from his mouth and lighter in hand. A familiar young girl walks up to him. Her face is burnt and Theon recognises her immediately. Shireen. The comatose girl. She smiles, it’s yellow flowers dancing in the wind, all spring gentleness and summer sweetness. Dandelions all over again.  
“Thank you for waking me up,” she says. He draws a blank.  
“What?”, he asks bemused.  
“Thank you for waking me up.” So. He has finally lost his mind. Great. Well, it was inevitable really.  
“Red is pretty colour on you, Mr. Coyote. You should sing more.” And then she turns around and walks the fuck away, like she hasn’t just completely floored him. While he stands there, like an idiot. 

Theon is waiting outside for Ramsay to show up, usually his friend would already be waiting for him. He closes his eyes and leans against the cold stonewall, his jacket is getting dirty, but Theon is tired enough to give no fucks.  
"Hello Mr. Coyote, are you waiting for someone?"  
Theon opens his eyes and looks down, right at Shireen, who smiles one of her flowery disarming smiles. She's not really looking at him, her eyes focused on something on the wall behind him. She does that, he's noticed, looking at nothing, as if she sees more than other people. Why are all the people he associates with crazy in some way or form?  
"'Sup little flower." If she calls him weird names, he better be allowed to do the same, thank you very much. "I'm waiting for my ride, what about you?"  
She twirls around and lets herself fall against the wall beside him. Oh, he thinks, she's going to ruin her little white dress. Somewhere in the back of his mind, his jacket screeches indignantly.  
"I'm waiting for my uncle Davos, my father is working late, so he promised to pick me up from school." She giggles, and Theon decides in that moment, that Shireen is a precious puppy, which needs to be protected. "You met him in the hospital, when- Oh, look, a bunny." Theon follows her gaze into the sky, tilts his head and decides that the clouds do not look like bunnies.  
"I don't see it," he says. She tears her eyes from the sky and grins at him, she's missing a tooth, he notes. Her arm raises and she points upwards, following the form of one of the darker clouds.  
"There are the ears, that's a ribbon, and this is the cottontail, see?"  
Theon nods and is about to answer, when Ramsay's car finally pulls up. It is, however, not Ramsay who climbs out of the vehicle.  
"Sorry you had to wait. Ramsay is sick and on medication, so he only told me that I need to pick you up ten minutes ago," Domeric says, sheepish smile on his lips. Theon takes a deep breath.  
"You could just have texted me, the hospital isn't that far away," he says. Domeric shrugs. "But Ramsay always drives you and it's no problem for me."  
Sometimes it's too easy to forget that Domeric and Ramsay are brothers, because Ramsay is an asshole on his best days and Domeric is a harmless golden retriever that farts rainbows and makes puns.  
"And who is this pretty little lady?", Domeric asks, which makes Shireen giggle happily. Golden retriever meet puppy. Theon is going get diabetes and die from the purity. "I'm Shireen, it's a pleasure to meet you."  
"I'm Domeric, and I must say, the pleasure is all mine." Domeric smiles and Theon can feel how his teeth rot.  
"Is someone picking you up? We can wait with you, if you want."  
"Oh, no," Shireen answers, cheeks dusted with a soft red. "I can already see my uncle's car. The silver one over there."  
Domeric looks at the street, where indeed a silver mercedes is driving toward the, and nodds.  
"Well then, it was nice to meet you, princess, but Theon and I have to go."  
Theon can see Shireen wave at them as they drive away. 

 

The first thing that greets Theon, when he arrives at school, is Ramsay with a split lip grinning like he won the jackpot.  
"Who did you fuck?", is the first question that comes to Theon's mind. Ramsay scrunches up his nose like Theon implied something very unpleasant, disgusting even.  
"Fine," Theon relents, "Who did you fuck over?", he asks instead.  
"Joffrey."  
"Ah." That would explain the shit eating grin and the disgust.  
"I have you to thank for that," Ramsay says all smiles, which isn't exactly good. Ramsay smiles like animals bare their teeth.  
"Why?", he asks carefully, suspicious.  
"He tried to hit your girl."  
Which sounds like Theon has a girlfriend, and he is very sure that isn't the case, so who- "Shireen?"  
"Yeah, that one. Hit him right in the face, broke his nose too. And you know what he said? 'My mother will hear about this.'"  
"What a pussy."  
"I know. Didn't even get in trouble for it, Jaime shrugged and went 'probably deserved it.'" Theon laughs and waves goodbye.  
Time for class.  
Insert vomiting noises here. 

Theon runs mostly on autopilot at this point, he is on his way to buy something to eat, because as much as he wishes he could, he can't live on coffee and sarcasm alone, when he overhears a conversation.  
“There’s just sand everywhere, no matter which direction I walk. And I’m all alone. It’s been a week. I’m so sick of that stupid dream.” Sam pats Jon on the shoulder. Theon stops.  
“Run south to the ironwood tree, don’t stop, one-eighty north and boom. Ocean,” he says with the sanity of sleepless 48 hours and five red bulls in two hours, then he continues on his way. The conversation doesn’t really stick, he forgets all about it. 

Theon is tired enough that he is ready to murder the next person who talks to him. If he's lucky it's Joffrey, god please let it be Joffrey. As it is, no one bothers him, which is just fine for Theon. He has enough problems as it is, the main one being his complete inability to sleep, he shouldn't put murder charges on that list. Joffrey would totally deserve it though. 

"What the fuck happened to you?!", Theon asks with feeling. Ramsay's eye is swollen, red turning purple and he’s grinning like a maniac. Could have been a fight, could have been sex.  
"Myranda didn't take it well when I explained to her that Friday was purely a one night stand and nothing more," Ramsay answers cheerfully.  
"And?"  
"She hit me, we did in the classroom, I have a girlfriend now."  
Theon wishes with his whole being that he could say he’s surprised, alas he is not. This is Ramsay, weird relationship building comes with the territory. Theon had, on his first day, told Joffrey to fuck off and to shove a cactus in his ass, then fucked Ramsay in an empty classroom and broken his nose when he had called Theon a slut. They had somewhat of an understanding since then. Which for some reason means Ramsay sees him as a friend now. 

 

Dreams are funny things. If he runs north there will be sand and nothing but sand, but if he goes south first until the ironwood tree appears and then turns to run south there will be an ocean. Sometimes he can walk over the water, other times, bad times, the sea will swallow him up, hungry and without mercy.  
There is someone else there, something else. The wolf. The white one. He stops, tense. He's ready to run, run, run. The wolf sees him, comes closer, carefully, slowly. It makes itself small, unthreatening, and, as it reaches him, licks his muzzle, submissive, friendly.  
_You terrorised me for a weak._  
Sorry, the red eyes say.  
_Fine._  
He playfully bites the wolf's ear. It retaliates with careful bites to his legs. They never break skin, and if they do, it's soothed by apologetical licks. 

Might as well get up, he decides. It's not even close to seven yet, but now that he’s, he doubts he will be able to fall asleep again.  
He throws on some clothes, grabs his bag and leaves the apartment. There is a Café on the corner that is always open. Theon buys three double espressos and downs them immediately, hot as they come. The sting on his tongue brings some life back into him. 

"Fucking Samwell has a girlfriend now. Samwell Tarly," is Ramsay’s greeting when he walks up to Theon, who is seated at an empty cafeteria table. Theon nearly spits out his coffee. That would, however, be a sad waste of coffee.  
"Could you repeat that?," Theon asks. Ramsay lifts an elegantly plucked eyebrow. "Are you sure your poor heart can handle it?"  
"Ha ha, very funny. You're pulling one on me, right? Please?", he asks, pleading desperation in his voice.  
"No. He's dating Gilly, you know her, the barista in your favorite Café,” Ramsay answers stone cold, it’s like he has no sympathy for Theon at all. Theon groans and lays his head on the table.  
"Did I finally break you? What's with the melodrama?", Ramsay asks interely unimpressed. "Do you know what that means? That means I'm officially the biggest loser in the school. One friend, no girlfriend, no boyfriend."  
"You need to get laid," Ramsay says and bites into his apple. Theon looks up, head still on the table and glares.  
"Well, since someone, who shall stay unnamed, has a girlfriend, someone hasn't been fucking me anymore."  
"And what a girlfriend she is," Ramsay says smiling. Theon is not amused.  
"She gave you a black eye."  
"The only reason we're friends, and fucked, is because you broke my nose."  
"Touché," Theon says shrugging.  
"Touché? I'm surprised you even know the word let alone the meaning."  
"You're unfriended."  
This time Ramsay shrugs.  
"Your loss."  
"You're not fucking me anymore, what the fuck am I supposed to be losing here?", Theon asks accusing.  
"My charming personality."  
"I can live without your sass."  
"And I can live without your pouting ass, yet here we are," Ramsay answers. Theon leaves without another word. Fuck Ramsay Bolton. 

Ramsay calls him at around one am. Drunk. Always a great combination. Truly. No better choices have ever been made.  
“Bitch, I actually managed to sleep, what the fuck?”, is Theon’s friendly greeting.  
_"You're not actually angry about today, are you?"_ Ramsay sounds pitiful. And intoxicated as fuck.  
"Ramsay, it's the middle of the night." Theon is not ready to deal with this, this being Ramsay’s… Everything.  
_"You're like one of the two friends I have."_  
"Two? Myranda is your girlfriend, she doesn't count."  
_"I was thinking Margaery, actually."_  
"Margaery tolerates your ass because she's Myranda's friend."  
_"Fuck Theon, that means you're my only friend."_  
Theon sighs.  
"I'm not angry, okay? Can I go back to sleep now?" He could he be handling the situation better? Absolutely. Why doesn’t he do that then? Because Ramsay just interrupted the first full sleep he could have been getting and Theon hates him just a little for that.  
_"You're my best friend, you know that?"_  
"We just established that I'm your only friend, can I please, please, go to sleep now?"  
_"Can we get coffee?"_  
At this point Theon is sure he should be paid for being Ramsay Bolton's friend. Then again he does get paid in coffee.  
"The things I do for you. Fine, meet you there. Don’t take your car."  
_“Why?”_  
“If that question was serious I will physically fight you. Don’t take your car.”  
_“I have a driver, though?”_  
“You know what? What-fucking-ever.”  


 

Theon plans to use the weekend productively. His plans are sleep and more sleep. He doesn't get a wink of sleep. 

 

He finds himself staring at the ceiling of his bedroom. It’s black. Very black. Amazingly Black. A car drives by the window and the light turns everything grey for a second. Then it’s back to black. Theon throws an arm over his eyes and breathes deep. He lies like that for multiple hour long minutes before he gives up. He stands up, hazardly puts on something decent to wear and goes out. 

It's Ramsay who greets him at the gates, as he does most days.  
"You look like shit," he says. Theon rolls his eyes.  
"Thank you, you really know how to flatter a girl."  
"If you were a girl, I would say your boyfriend did a throughout job, as it is you're not, so you look like shit," Ramsay says while walking up to the school building.  
"Are you implying I didn't get a good fuck last night?", Theon asks feigning offence.  
"You don't fuck people on a school night, you barely manage arriving on time as it is."  
"But Myranda screamed my name so prettily last night." Ramsay hits him on the arm.  
"Considering she was with me, the only name she screamed was mine. She did do it very prettily, though."  
They stop their banter as they reach Theon's classroom. Ramsay hits him again, just for good measure, and leaves him. 

Theon hears crying from the bathroom. The girl's bathroom. He closes his eyes then slowly counts to three. Fuck woman and their tears. He opens the door just a gap, only to find Shireen sitting on the other side of the bathroom, pretty head in her lap and her golden hair in a disarray that does not look like it is an self-inflicted accident.  
He walks up to her slowly.  
"Hey, why are you crying?", Theon asks as he kneels before her. Shireen sniffles.  
"Joffrey called me ugly," she sobs. It's hard to understand between all the distressed sounds she makes, sounds of hurt and sadness. Theon pulls her into his lap. She's definitely too old for that and his legs soon feel numb, but he keeps hugging her.  
"It is a well known fact, that Joffrey is an idiot." He swallows all the other worse and more accurate descriptions that come to mind.  
"He cut my hair," she says.  
"You're very pretty. You know I saw you in the hospital. You were sleeping so peaceful, I thought you were a princess."  
"Like sleeping beauty?", she asks softly, looking up at him with tear stained eyes and cheeks. There is an answer on his tongue, but before the words can leave his mouth, the door opens. A girl walks in, red hair and blue eyes. Sansa. Jon's sister. She looks at Theon, angry, shocked, and Theon very pointedly motions at Shireen with his head. She has her face buried in his shirt, tear and snot probably ruining his clothes. As if that matters to him now. 'Joffrey,' he mouths at Sansa. Her lips form a little 'oh', anger forgotten. Or rather redirected.  
"Your hair is all tangled, I can't let a pretty princess walk around like that," Sansa says and smiles. She pulls out one of these handbag mirror-hair-brushes and a knife from fucking nowhere. Theon has his priorities sorted out.  
First: Her dress has pockets!  
Then: Why the fuck does she have a knife in her pocket?  
Sansa, ignorant to Theon regarding her in a new light, starts to brush Shireen's hair and cut it somewhat straight again.  
"You know, I have a sister your age, I could introduce you," Sansa says softly.  
"Really?", Shireen asks, hope shining like fire in her eyes. Theon lets her go, so they can both stand up.  
"I'll leave you two ladies to it then," he says grinning.  
"Goodbye, Mr. Coyote." Shireen is all smiles and Theon is easily infected by her mood. The nickname doesn't even bother him. 

The happy air around him lasts for all of two seconds. Jon looks at Theon, who just exited the girl's bathroom, like he's some particular disgusting gum on his shoe.  
"You have no respect for women, or yourself," he snarls. It takes a second for Theon to realise how the situation must look. He could explain himself, instead an easy smirk spreads on his lips. He is ready to tease and provoke, but then he sees the shape of Joffrey walking further down the hall. It's like a match is lit, a scratching and then the pure need to fight. The smirk drops from his lips like heavy stones.  
"My sister is in the army, Myranda is one of two people who has no qualms about putting Ramsay in his place, Margaery basically runs the school, Ygritte can throw scissors with the accuracy of a sniper and I just watched your sister pull a knife from air, so no, I have all the respect there is, I also have a thirteen year old crying and a twat who needs a good beating, so excuse me, I don't have the time to argue with you," he says and runs off to search for said twat. 

Theon is ready to go home and fall into bed, when his phone dings loud and annoying. He sighs and opens the message, not at all looking forward to seeing Ramsay's dickpics. Or better yet, a message from his father. That's the possibilities here, Asha calls him so does Ramsay, unless of course it's sex related pictures. Man he's probably seen Myranda naked just as often as Ramsay has at this point.  
It's neither.  


> Are you going to the hospital today?  
>  \- Meera

> Nope, freeday  
>  Something you needed?  
>  \- Theon

> I promised Jo to bring him chocolate, but my coworker is sick, have to stay longer. Could you bring him some and I pay you back later? Please?  
>  \- Meera

>   
>  sure, but u owe me one  
>  \- Theon

> u're the best thank you so much :3  
>  \- Meera

When Theon opens the door to Jojen's room he has to stop and count to ten. There, sitting beside the boy, who sits in the bed beside Jojen, is fucking Jon. Great. Super. Fan-fucking-tastic.  
"What are you doing here?", Jon asks, and Theon can very clearly hear the 'the fuck' between 'What are'.  
"I come here for the amazing coffee, obviously," he says and proceeds to take a sip of his shitty hospital coffee. At the sound of his voice Jojen turns from the window to him and smiles serenely. The kid is weird, but Theon has a soft spot for him and his sister, maybe it's because Meera takes care of her brother like Asha took care of him, maybe it's the parallels.  
"Theon," Jojen greets him and Theon can hear the disappointment even though Jojen is smiling. "Did Meera have to work?"  
"Yeah," Theon nods, "but your slave driver of a sister forced me to bring you your sweets anyway," he says and throws three packages of Kinder Riegel Chocolate Sticks. Jojen opens one and hands one of the chocolate sticks to the boy beside him.  
"This is Bran," Jojen says. Theon salutes the boy with two fingers.  
"Can you get your book if you have time?", Jojen asks. Three assignments and homework flash before his eyes, but Theon pushes those aside, it's for a good cause.  
"Sure, I'll get it real quick and come back. You can think about what I should read, okay?" Jon might sit two meters beside him, which means Theon's reputation will be thoroughly ruined, but children make him week. 

 

He opens his eyes to empty sand. He stands and shakes the dust from his fur. There are pawprints in the sand, the wind cannot touch them.  
_Follow._  
He wanders through the sand, never pausing, never wavering.  
He finds black thorns digging deeper ever deeper into white skin, dying white fur red, red, red. The wolf is struggling against its chains, but they don't give, not even an inch. A vulture circles over their heads, waiting for its next meal. A black rabbit, muzzle all red with blood, is already digging its sharp teeth into the flesh of the wolf.  
**killit.killit.killit.killit.killit.killit.killit.killit.killit.killit.**  
He pounces. Sinks teeth into flesh. He tastes ashes. Thick tar bleeds from the wounds. It tastes like suffering, like hate and loneliness. He lets it fall. Limp.  
He licks the blood of the wolf, cleans it, until white is white once more.  
_He's suffering._  
_End it._  
He shakes his friend until bones break, snap, crunch. And the wolf melts like fresh winter snow. The thorns writhe, deprived of their victim. They snatch, grab, pull, ever angry at his legs, drag him down, down, down, until he is drowning in sand.  
Then the nightmare starts. 

It's around five am that Theon gives up on his life and gets up to shower and the go out for coffee. He manages to be on time, for once in his life, mostly because he ends up in school an hour before he has to be there. God, he's going to put Benjen into an early grave. Theon sends Ramsay a quick text to inform him that he doesn't have to meet up with Theon this wonderful morning.  
Jon sits down beside him in math, and Theon, well read guy that he is, has only the best words to offer.  
"What the fuck?"  
"Sam is sick," Jon says, like that explains everything. It doesn't, it really, really doesn't. 

Jon sitting with him, in all of his fucking lessons by the way, isn't as bad as Theon thought it was going to be. He actually manages to be productive, mostly because Jon, the fucker, steals his phone when Theon starts texting Renly and Loras out of boredom and coughs pointedly everytime Theon starts drawing squid instead of doing the work. It's infuriating, but Benjen's and Melisandre's looks when his worksheet isn't empty once he hands it in, are absolutely worth it. 

 

There is a snow rabbit looking at them curiously, before it hops away further down the dunes. The wolf goes to follow, but he whines, and the wolf looks back. It lowers its head, motions for the rabbit, which is getting further and further away. He whines again, but he lets the wolf go. His friend wants to go home too. He watches it chase the snow rabbit, watches sand forming dust clouds in the air as the wolf runs, watches as it breaks the rabbit's neck and disappears. He watches, because there's nothing else for him to do. He turns away, searches the horizon for the sun and runs. Behind him two pine trees grow high toward the sky, snow covering the sand between them. All the while he chases the sun until he wakes sudden and violent. 

Theon is ready to sacrifice a goat, three cats and maybe Ramsay for just one night filled with eight hours of sleep, considering Theon is the type of person who wouldn't even give up a tic tac, that says a lot. He's ready to die at this point, just lay it on him. End his suffering. He's done. Tell his fami- Nah, tell Asha he loves her. It's in this moment of frustrated wallowing that his heart decides to have the epiphany of the year. Theon really fucking likes Jon. What the fuck heart? What is he supposed to do with that information? The guy hates him.  
'Oh, I don't know, maybe be nice to him for once and then ask him on a date? It's not rocket science.' His heart sounds a lot like Renly. Theon is mortified. He could do that, but, considering Theon has the social skills of a brick, proven by the fact that Ramsay is his only friend, it's very unlikely to happen. 

"I have a very important question," is the first thing Theon says when he joins the others outside for their traditional break smoke.  
"Okay?", Loras says slowly, while Renly sighs.  
"Yes you can copy my math homework, no you can't join us for a threesome, yes butterflies do really drink blood and no you're not the only one, who thinks that it's unnecessary to show the death of batman's parents in every single movie," Renly says without looking up from his phone. Theon pauses and looks at him bewildered.  
"Okay, you just completely destroyed my outlook on butterflies, but that was so not what I wanted to ask," he says.  
"No? I'm surprised," Renly says not surprised. Theon rolls his eyes.  
"Focus. How do you get someone to date you when they hate you?"  
Ramsay smirks.  
"I didn't know you felt that way about Joffrey, Theon," he says.  
"First, ew. Second, it's Jon you dumbass," Loras tells him.  
"How did you know?", Theon asks, face scrunched up in confusion.  
"The power of gay," Loras deadpans.  
"Or the way you keep staring at him and it's very obvious that your brain makes error noises. Could be either," Renly says. I need new friends, Theon thinks as he rolls his eyes in exasperation.  
"Great, any useful ideas?", he asks.  
"Stop being a dick, then ask him out," Renly says, back to looking at his phone.  
"How the fuck do I do that?"  
"Are you serious? Like this, Renly, you look stunning today, would like to get a coffee with me?" Renly looks at Loras and smiles like an idiot in love. Theon can see the hearts in his eyes.  
"Yes, I would love that," he answers.  
"There you go, it's not that hard."  
"You two are disgusting," Ramsay says. 

Ramsay corners him in the bathroom, which a week ago would mean a lot of good things, but Ramsay has a girlfriend now, so Theon is less keen about it.  
"What do you want?", he asks, suspicion tearing through his throat.  
"Getting you a date," Ramsay says, grabs Theon's shoulder and smashes the back of his head against the wall. His head explodes in pain. Theon pushes Ramsay, swings his arm backwards to land a good punch, but Ramsay has already ducked away. Theon smashes the mirror instead, shards clattering on the sink and stuck in his skin.  
"Fuck!", he curses and holds his bleeding hand. Ramsay grins and leaves through the door. Go after him, something wild, something dangerous, in him sings.  
Theon stays where he is. His head rings, the veins in his hand and arm feeling like they're filled with knives instead of blood.  
He can hear the door open again, but it sounds more distant. There are hands on his shoulders.  
"Theon? Theon, are you okay?"  
He didn't even notice how Jon came closer. Fuck, his head hurts.  
"Hey, keep your eyes open. Look at me, yeah, just like that. Okay, fuck, that looks bad. You- I- Hospital. Come on."  
Jon pulls him through the school to the parking lot, keeping a close eye on him. Theon docilely follows. 

Theon stays quiet the whole drive, which is not like him at all, but he usually doesn't feel like there's roadwork in his head and maybe an elephant tap dancing, so excuse him for not gossiping with Jon like some highschool girl clique. Or Loras and Renly.  
They don't have to wait long, Jeyne is on her break, so she quickly looks him over. Theon doesn't have a concussion, thank fuck, but his cuts need to be cleaned and one of them needs stitches. Theon's fine. Mostly. He's also plotting Ramsay's murder. It's going to be bloody and very satisfying.  
Jon offers to take Theon home, and Theon, as much as he hates Ramsay right now, knows an opportunity when it's presented to him.  
"How about I get you a coffee instead, as a thank you," he says oddly subdued, but hope flaring in his eyes. Jon smiles.  
"I'd like that."  
They're sitting in the by the window in 'The Wall', Theon's favourite café, and watch as cars drive by. Gilly serves them two Latte Macchiato, takes one look at Theon, winces and brings over a chocolate chip cookie two minutes later. Theon could kiss her, he really could, but apparently Samwell has that covered.  
"So what happened?", Jon asks and takes a sip of his coffee. Theon leans back in his chair and shrugs.  
"Ramsay Bolton, psychopath of the year," he answers simply. Jon raises an eyebrow, but doesn't ask further, which is nice, because Theon's headache is making a strong reappearance. They're sitting in comfortable silence when the words "I like you," tumble out of Theon's mouth, which what the fuck mouth? The brain didn't give you permission for that?  
"You're on pain medication," Jon says.  
"My head would beg to differ," Theon answers. "Doesn't make you any less cute, handsome." Yeah, wow, nevermind, Jon is right, the aspirine totally fucked him over. Also blushing makes Jon like ten times more attractive.  
"You're so out of it," Jon says laughing.  
"Well, be less pretty." Okay. Abort. Filter? This is your time to shine. No? Well, fuck you too. "Eat your cookie and let me get you home," Jon says grinning.  
"Can I eat you instead?", Theon asks.  
"Charming as those crumbs on your cheek and the milk foam on your lips are, how about you ask me tomorrow, when your brain is working again, and I'll think about it," Jon says, which sounds fair, but doesn't stop Theon from giving him The Look of utter Betrayal. 

 

Curiosity makes wander from his safe haven into the snowy landscapes of the pine trees. He never learns. It doesn't take long for the wolves to find him again. This time there are only two of them. He runs, they follow.  
He has escaped for now. He curls up in the snow under the root of a tree. It's cold. He's cold. And tired. His blood colours the snow beneath him. White turns to red. Purity tainted. He's so tired. It is a constant state of mind nowadays. Always tired, always cold. Soft steps make the snow crunch. He doesn't move. He's tired of running too. He's always running, always fleeing. His body feels like stone. The steps stop. He opens his eyes, he didn't notice he closed them, it's hard. His eyelids are heavy, heavier and heavier. There is his wolf, white like everything in this monochrome world. Red eyes stare down at him. All he wants to do is sleep, but he can't.  
**Don't / Don't / Don't / Don't / Don't**  
He rolls on to his back, throws back his head, exposing his throat to his friend.  
Kill me.  
_killme.killme.killme.killme.killme.killme.killme.killme._ He’s so tired.  
The wolf touches his throat softly with its teeth. A lover's kiss. It looks at him, takes in his half closed eyes, the blank exhausted look. Its teeth sink down.  
Blood. 

Theon startles awake and stares at his ceiling. The doorbell is ringing, has done that a few times now. Theon contemplates not getting up, especially because his head is pounding and his arm is on fucking fire, but rolls out of bed anyway.  
The impatient fuck who keeps knocking on his door turns out to be Ramsay. Theon almost closes the door in his face, but before he has the chance, Ramsay thrusts a to go cup from 'The Wall', as indicated by the crow on said cup, into his face.  
"I hate you," Theon says and takes a sip. Mhh, hot chocolate with double espresso shots.  
"Marry me," he says as he steps away from the door, so Ramsay can enter.  
"My father hates you and your sister hates me, as much as I like you, I'm not risking getting disinherited or murdered for you," Ramsay answers and sits down on the couch.  
"So, while I think my methods worked just fine and are justifiable, Domeric has seen it fit to inform me that I, for some reason, fucked up, and should apologise. So that drink is me apologising. I'm deeply sorry for any pain I caused you," Ramsay says, an expression of disgust on his face.  
"Wow, did that hurt?", Theon asks.  
"Yes."  
"You're such a prick," Theon says. "But you also deeply disturb Loras, which is too funny to pass up on, so you're forgiven."  
"Good."  
"If you pay for my coffee for the next year." Ramsay honest to god winces, which, considering Theon's coffee consumption is fair.  
"You're going to drive me into bankruptcy."  
"Tough shit." 

 

It's the monochrome forest again. There's white as far as the eye can see. No wolves, not yet. That is not his biggest worry however. He's tired, tired of running and tired of hiding. He's lost, can't remember the way back into his own world. The snow beneath him is cold, but surprisingly soft, when he lays down.  
_Stay awake._  
He closes his eyes too exhausted to listen to instinct anymore. He just wants to sleep forever.  
_Stay. Awake._  
He lets the falling flakes cover him in a cold, but soft, blanket, until he's numb to the world.  
He lets sleep take him.  


 

Unread Message: 1

> Hey, haven't seen you in school for two days, you okay?  
>  \- Jon

 

Pain makes him squeal, makes him whine, makes him beg for mercy. Blood in his throat and fire in his rips.  
Ashes. 

Theon wakes violently, falls from his bed and lands with a dull thud on the floor. He knows, instinctively, that he made a mistake. He's never let himself think about his dreams, they're weird and more often than not something kills him, but this time is different. He's not supposed to sleep in a dream, he knows this, has always known this, remembers, vaguely, his mother telling him this. 

Theon’s shadow warps, turns darker, laughs at him, animalistic and howling. He sees pointy teeth and sharp claws. There is a black rabbit, dripping black tar and leaving bloody footprints on the asphalt, on his way to school, Theon knows better than to follow, but they share the same way. He can feel his blood pressure rising, his heart pounding faster and faster, breath coming shorter and shorter, before the nightmare takes a sharp turn and disappears into a sidestreet. 

There is a shadow on the wall, growling and teeth snapping at Theon. He tries to ignore it. It doesn't work. His eyes always find the walls, the dark corners, shadows swirling and dancing over the surface. Taunting. Laughing.  
"Theon!"  
Theon winces and turns to Jon, who looks at him with an expression Theon isn't at all comfortable with. Worry. Pity.  
Jon's shadow, too, deepens, darkens. A wolf teeth sharp and dripping saliva. Drip. Drip. Drip. The shadow is hungry.  
"I called your name three times. The bell rung. Are you okay?", he asks. Theon shakes away the sight, ignores hungry eyes just waiting to devour him.  
"Yeah, I'm fine. Peachy," he answers. "Let's go. Jaime might not care if we're late, but Daenerys sure as fuck does." 

Theon is watching the hallway for more dark monsters, barely hears the other student's over the sound of howling and growling. A hand on his shoulder makes him turn around to look at Jon. Jon looks at him questioning, waiting. Fuck, he asked a question didn't he? Theon didn't hear him over the howling in his ears. Say something!  
"Yeah, sure," he says.  
"Great, I'll wait for you after school," Jon says, happy, satisfied, and walks away. Well, fuck. Theon has no idea what he just agreed to. 

"Hello, Mr. Coyote," Shireen greets him outside after school. Theon blinks at her, shaken from his thoughts, then his gaze wanders to her shadow. It's a lot less threatening then the other shit he's seen today. A doe, spring in its step, butterfly on its nose, nudging the mangy dog his shadow has turned to.  
"Hello Bambi," he answers her. Her eyes follow his, and suddenly a wide smile lights up her face.  
"You see them too." Theon has all kinds of Harry Potter flashbacks, nut ignores them in favour of asking:  
"What?"  
"The shadows, silly," she answers. "You shouldn't be afraid of them, they don't like that. Shadows are just the absence of light, so they can't hurt you." Sure as hell make him question his sanity though.  
"Yeah, well waking up to the growling of your shadow, which keeps turning into a dog, is not my definition of fun," he says as he watches their shades play tag.  
"'S not a dog, silly, it's coyote," she says pouting. "And-"  
"Theon, over here!" They look up to see Jon waving him over.  
"Sorry, Bambi, I have to go, annoy Renly for me," he says and waves to her.  
"Will do," she promises, smile back on her lips, as she salutes him. He has officially corrupted her. Or Arya did. Maybe it was team effort. 

"So how was your day?", Jon asks him when they sit in the car. Theon throws him a look.  
"You've been a part of my day for 90 percent of it, you tell me."  
"You're an asshole," Jon says, but he's smiling. Theon theatrically lays his hand on his chest, right on his heart.  
"Oh my god, no one ever said that to me before, thank you," he says in the most white girl voice he can muster. 

Jon's house is fucking big. Theon thought Ramsay's home was some mansion level bullshit, but Jon's place, or his parents place, is the size of three apartment houses and has three stories at least.  
"What the fuck," Theon whispers and turns to Jon with big eyes. Jon shrugs and shuffles his feet.  
"My father owns some companies," he says and Theon's brain has a short circuit.  
"Just come on, let's go inside," Jon says. Theon enters the house, mansion, and is entirely unprepared to be attacked by five large balls of floof. He's on the ground in seconds, attacked from all sides by tongues, slobber and fur.  
"Lady, Greywind, Shaggydog, Ghost, Nymeria! Off!" Jon pushes the overly happy fur mountains from Theon's... Everywhere.  
"Sorry about that, I forgot how excited they get," he says, and is then promptly attacked by the white monster dog.  
"Ghost! Ghost get down! Ghost!" Jon heroically dies by saving Theon from suffocation. RIP Jon.  
"You forgot?", Theon repeats amused.  
"He usually doesn't do this," Jon says defensive, except Theon knows when someone learns how to fall so they don't break every bone in their body. Also Jon handles being mushed into the ground by dog surprisingly well.  
"I can see that."  
"Oh, fuck off."  
"Jon Targaryen Stark! I will not have that language in my house," says a red haired woman from the other end of the hallway. Her words are stern, but she is smiling, though it makes Theon shiver involuntarily. Women are terrifying. Jon actually blushes, and manages to push off the white fluff lion.  
"Sorry," he says sheepish. Theon makes a note to not swear while Mrs. Stark is present. He might be overdramatic but he has no actual deathwish, thank you very much.  
"Good, now will your friend stay for dinner?", Mrs. Stark asks, a more welcoming smile on her lips. Theon looks at Jon questioning.  
"Theon actually wanted to stay the night, if that's okay?" Theon look turns even more questioning, because he wanted what now?  
"That's fine by me. Just don't wake the kids. And Theon? There will be no smoking in the house, there's an ashtray on the patio in the garden to the back of the house," she says, stern expression back on her face. Theon swallows.  
"Yes, Mrs. Stark, thank you for letting me stay," he answers demurely.  
"None of that, call my Catelyn." And then she walks off, back to wherever she came from. "Your mother is terrifying," Theon says.  
"She's my aunt, but yes," Jon answers in the same tone. 

 

His dreams are filled with wolves and snow and happiness.  
He runs, it's not the same as the other times. Head thrown back, howling to the sky. There is an answering howl behind him. He throws himself into the snow, rolls around like a pup. An amused snort blows warm air all over his face, making his sensitive ears twitch. A weight over his body. Warmth and belonging. Dual howls singing their happiness to the sun. Then the wolf melts into snow and- 

Theon is woken in the middle of the night by Jon shaking him.  
"I swear to fuck, Stark, my sleeping habits are none existent and filled with coffee, if I don't get to sleep eight hours tonight I will personally murder you," Theon says grumpily as he sits up and glares and Jon. The other male looks at him sheepish.  
"I wanted to know if you meant what you said when we went to get coffee together, after the hospital?" Theon stares at him blankly, then takes a deep breath.  
"We were literally in the same dream just a minute ago, you couldn't have, I don't know, asked there?", he asks exasperated.  
"Wait, you know?" Jon looks bewildered.  
"Yes, Shireen and I had an enlightening talk about it, please let me go back to sleep now." Theon almost lays back down again, but Jon stops him by still fucking talking.  
"Shireen- Not important, you haven't answered my question."  
"Yes, i still like you and I still want to kiss your stupid face."  
"Good, because I want to kiss your stupid face too." 

> Jon and I kissed  
>  \- Theon

> You go gurl  
>  \- Loras

> Please let me be there when Asha gives him the Shovel talk  
>  also, excuse Loras, he's drunk  
>  \- Renly

> disgusting  
>  bring him over for smoke break on monday so I can give him the shovel talk  
>  \- Ramsay

> aww, ramsy is going all big bro on u theo  
>  \- Loras

> Never call me 'Ramsy' or 'big bro' again, or I will break your legs  
>  but seriously if he hurts you, I will break his neck  
>  \- Ramsay

> we can go on triple dates, paint each others nails n stuff  
>  \- Loras

> Loras, Loras no  
>  \- Theon

 

(When Shireen compliments his black and gold nails a week later, well, Loras has the power gay and terrifying sisters on his side, okay?) 


End file.
